Blogs :: the brendon why
part 1
this is probably one of the hardest initial blogs to write, which is why i've been delaying...where to begin...i've had a passion for traveling since my first trip to europe, specifically the united kingdom, in 1997 when i was 15. my second trip, in 2002, was back to england with a few days in ireland during my freshman year in college. this was the first of many trips i would soon be taking with jason. after graduating college with a degree in business/information systems, i moved to germany for 6 months during 2006 to teach at an american high school, and upon my return, spent 3 weeks in central america between costa rica and nicaragua. i soon found myself employed as a restaurant manager in summit county instead of getting back into the software business. during the winter ski season, i met many brazilians. so, in 2007, i headed south for 2 weeks, spending all my time in rio de janeiro. months before this trip, jason and i had talked about navigating the continent of africa, but during this adventure, i realized i wanted to do the same in south america. i resigned as manager at the end of the summer, and returned to denver to pick up software engineering contracts. over the next 18 months, the plan came into place with asia being added on as the continent to get us around the world in one single trip.
part 2
this one might piss some people off, but, what the hell, im just going to write. goals: i have many in life, and this trip will help to define, create, change or erase most of these...
i've already spoken of my passion for traveling so i'll start there. culture is really the passion, but the travel part is fun too. everywhere i've been, i've experienced an amazing part of someone else, whether they've realized it or not. i cannot say this is the same for my every day life here in america. why? im not sure, but when i wake up from a bad night's sleep on a hard-ass cot at the bottom of a volcano, meander into a cold-ass shower, eat the same breakfast for the 10th straight day, and am about to trek 10 miles into rain, cloud and whatever forests with a group of random strangers, i feel ultimate contentment. when i wake up from a great night's sleep in a queen sized bed with feather pillows and a comforter, eat a bowl of cereal, and dread having to drive to the office, i feel resentment (my job isn't even that hard! it's often fun, and it's on my own time, not to mention damn good money). maybe it's because it's the same thing day after day and i'm ADD/ADHD, OCD, RLS, and whatever else...adventure is another passion and i don't get that in my daily american life. i can, for the most part, tell you the what, who, when, where and why of my day before i walk out the door. im quite uninspired by many people i meet in life yet, when abroad, there is always someone entertaining around the corner, no matter if it's fellow travelers or local bartenders, cab drivers, tour operators, hostel owners, etc.
i think i was a little easy there, but have a beer with me and perhaps i might go into it more...
part 3
i mentioned a business degree, and yes, like my father, i'm a business guy in the background...i'm also a not-so trained more-so acting educator. put the two together with the word international, and you end up with key phrases like: international development in emerging economies. the end result might be educating individuals in developing countries with the tools to generate sustainable incomes benefiting not only personal but also local and national economies over time. there are many people out there doing similar things as missionaries or through other types of NGO's, but i envision doing it myself (with help from friends of course), by my rules and without corporate sponsors or religious intervention or whatever. i'm not writing all these options off; i just would like to be a non-partisan part of helping many of these aid organizations throughout the trip. getting an understanding of what is going on in all these remote places will be a priceless experience as will being able to share my knowledge to help those in need along the way. so if you know of any places we might stop by to lend a hand, please, let us know...
why
Posted By:
Brendon
Friday, August 15, 2008 7:00 PM
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